North Creek Forest

Site Assessment
University of Washington-Restoration Ecology Network
Capstone Course 2018-2019

Prepared by:
Angelina Monary
Jackelyn T. Garcia Calvin Kim
Michael Sanchez Katie Woolsey
Yang He Sara Wang

Prepared for Friends of North Creek Forest and City of Bothell

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1-2
RFP SYNOPSIS 3
SITE OVERVIEW 3-8
Matrix 4
Site History 6
Human Context 6
Restoration Site Polygon Description 6
TOPOGRAPHY 8-12
Polygon 1 8
Polygon 2 8
Polygon 3 8
Polygon 4 8
Polygon 5 8
Polygon 6 8
SOILS 13-16
Soil Test Results 13
Polygon 1 15
Polygon 2 15
Polygon 3 15
Polygon 4 15
Polygon 5 16
Polygon 6 16
HYDROLOGY 17-18
VEGETATION 18-25
Polygon 1 20
Polygon 2 21
Polygon 3 22
Polygon 4 22
Polygon 5 23
Polygon 6 24
HABITAT & WILDLIFE 25
DISTURBANCE 26
IMPAIRED ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS & LIKELIHOOD OF AUTOGENIC REPAIR 27-28
LITERATURE CITED 28

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1. North Creek Forest Regional Location 3
Figure 2. North Creek Forest Restoration Project Site Locations 4
Figure 3: Larger Matrix Map 5
Figure 4: Site Polygon Borders 7
Figure 5: Topographical Map 9
Figure 6: Site Polygon Slope 10
Figure 7: Site Polygon Slope 11

Figure 8: Site Polygon Aspect 12

Figure 9: Hydrological Features 17
Figure 10. WDFW Priority Habitat and Species at North Creek Forest 25
Figure 11: Vegetation Communities 19-20
Figure 12: Invasive Species Map 20

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Polygon Size 8

Table 2: Soil properties found at North Creek Forest 13

Table 3: Existing vegetation and relative abundance in Polygon 1 20
Table 4: Existing vegetation and relative abundance in Polygon 2 21
Table 5: Existing vegetation and relative abundance in Polygon 3 22
Table 6: Existing vegetation and relative abundance in Polygon 4 22
Table 7: Existing vegetation and relative abundance in Polygon 5 23
Table 8: Existing vegetation and relative abundance in Polygon 6 24
RFP SYNOPSIS
In this particular site, Friends of North Creek Forest have noted how fragmented the site is, and
how largely dominated it is by Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus), covering a large
percentage of the 0.5 acre site that we measured out. Other invasive plant species include
English ivy towards the sloped west side of the site. The overarching goals for this site are to
restore ecosystem functions of a forested ecosystem by removal of invasive species, initiating
successional development of a mature upland forest, and involving community members in
restoration work parties in order to foster a positive relationship between the forest and
surrounding community. Additional objectives for this site are soil erosion management during
removal of invasive species.

SITE OVERVIEW
The site is within the Puget Sound region near the north end of Lake Washington by the
Sammamish River. This site is located about a mile north of University of Washington Bothell,
located in the city of Bothell, and lies West of the North Creek. The restoration site is at the
south end of North Creek Forest along 112th Ave NE (Figures 1 & 2)

Figure 1. North Creek Forest Regional Location

Figure 2. North Creek Forest Restoration Project Site Locations

Matrix
UWREN Project Site 8 is located in the southeast portion of North Creek Forest. The site borders
a small two-lane road, 112th Ave NE directly to the east, a small ditch that runs along a noise
barrier, and I-405 further east, in that order. South of the project site is a small apartment
complex called North Creek Heights, and the north and west side are bordered by North Creek
Forest itself, with the north side being a UWREN project 7 from the year 2017. As seen in figure
2 and 3. The West side of the site contains large urban debris and acts as a limit to how far West
we can work.
Figure 3: Larger Matrix Map

Site History
The Bothell area used to be a native forest until it was logged in the early 1900’s by settlers
(FNCF 2013). Some of the land in what is now known as North Creek Forest, including UW-
REN project site 8, was a cattle ranch after the area was logged (Gugala 2018). North Creek
Forest is now a mixed young forest on its way to becoming a mature conifer forest. Even
though the site is a young forest, the history of logging and ranching have changed the site in
numerous ways, including but not limited to; vegetation composition, wildlife composition,
soil composition, hydrology, etc. We have to take these factors into consideration as we
progress on our project.

Human Context
The site was once used by the Sammamish native American people. In the early 1900’s the site
was logged of the old growth forest that used to be there and then after that the land was used for
farming. About an acre away from our site is the original farmhouse for that area. The site was
originally going to be used for housing until a group of families got together in 2011 and raised
money to buy the property and convert it to a park. Friends of North Creek Forest volunteer to
take care of the park which is owned by the City of Bothell and restoring the area to be a low land
forest (In person interview with Melissa volunteer coordinator of FNCF)

Restoration Site Polygon Description

As of now, there are 6 polygons in total, with a total area of about half an acre (Figure 4). These
polygons were mostly divided up by vegetation composition (Table 1). The soil was pretty uniform
throughout the site, the steeper portion and the lower portion were slightly different in the soil
texture and the plants that grew above and below. Hydrology as assessed on October 25th, 2018
was also uniform throughout the site. In the dry seasons it would b expected that the soil further
away from the seasonal creek would be less moist. Most polygons consisted of Himalayan
blackberry, but the polygons towards the east side of the site had high amounts of English ivy
instead of Himalayan blackberry. Red alder (Alnus rubra) and a large highbush-cranberry
(Viburnum trilobum) were found in polygon 2 and had portions of open space in the canopy layer
which allowed entry for sunlight to hit the ground. Fully grown bigleaf maple trees were found in
polygon 4 and 5, which provides a great amount of seasonal shade. A small amount of Sword ferns
(Polystichum munitum) were found in polygons 3, 4, and 5. A large western redcedar and large
amounts of English ivy were found in polygon 6. English ivy was found growing on most trees and
spreading on the ground.
Figure 4: Site Polygon Borders.
 Table 1. Polygon size

Area (m2) % Total site Slope Slope

area (%) Aspect ( ° )
min-max

Polygon 1 321.53 16.69 6.38-32.1 N18.02

Polygon 2 157.68 8.19 7.14 NE 53.85

Polygon 3 135.58 7.04 13.95-21.09 NE 32.22

Polygon 4 77.70 4.03 7.72-26.53 NE 56.76

Polygon 5 583.61 30.32 15.75-56.12 E 91.26

Polygon 6 649.27 33.73 11.37-65.56 E 94.96

TOPOGRAPHY
The polygons are located at the bottom of three drainages which flow from the western portion of
North Creek Forest. The elevation ranges from 104 ft to 75 ft (Figure 5 and 8). Polygons 5 and 6
represent those with the most change in terms of slope change. The lower polygons associated
with the least amount of elevation and are relatively flat compared to the other sites. Polygon
1,2,3 are of slightly lower elevation than polygons 5 and 6.
Figure 5: Site polygon topography
Figure 6: Site polygon elevation (bare Earth)
Figure 7: Site polygon slope
Figure 8: Site Polygon Aspect
 SOILS
In polygons 5 and 6, there were more rocks in the soil than in polygons 1,2,3, and 4 (figure 9).
Overall the soil observed in each soil pit were all the same grey color (10YR 3/2) and similar
texture, which was sandy loam. That was found by doing a soil texture sample test which
involved adding water and rolling soil in one's hand to figure out the texture.

Table 2: Soil properties found at North Creek Forest UW-REN Site 8 (USDA Web Soil
Survey, 2018).

Soil
Polygon Soil pit O Horizon A Horizon Classificatio
Texture
# # Depth (cm) Depth (cm) n series

1 1 2cm 3cm Sandy Indianola loamy

Loam sand, 0 to 5 %
slopes

2 2 2.5cm 3cm Sandy Indianola loamy

Loam sand, 0 to 5 %
slopes

3 3 2.5cm 3cm Sandy Indianola loamy

Loam sand, 0 to 5 %
slopes

4 4 3cm 3.5cm Sandy Indianola loamy

Loam sand, 0 to 5 %
slopes

5 5 5cm 3.5cm Sandy Alderwood gravelly

Loam sandy loam, 15 to
30 % slopes

6 6 4cm 3.5cm Sandy Alderwood gravelly

Loam sandy loam, 15 to
30 % slopes
Figure 9: Soil Pit location
Polygon 1
Top layer of soil had a layer of red alder leaf litter. Beneath the leaf litter, the soil had a
consistent color of grey soil (10YR 3/2) throughout. Within the subsoil, below the A horizon,
there were thin plant roots growing through the soil. There were a number of small gravel
beneath the roots. When initially digging into the soil, the soil was very hard and compact. The
soil throughout the A horizon was slightly moist, crumbly and grainy, and is therefore classified
as sandy loam.

Polygon 2
Top layer of soil had a layer of mixed leaf litter of red alder and big leaf maple leaves. Beneath
the leaf litter, the soil had a consistent color of grey soil (10YR 3/2) throughout. Within the
surface soil, there was a sited worm. Within the subsoil, there were a few thinly established plant
roots growing through the soil. As we dug the hole the rocks got bigger (about the size of a tennis
ball) the deeper we went. The soil was very hard and compact. The soil throughout was slightly
moist, crumbly and had a floury texture. It had very fine granules.

Polygon 3
Top layer of soil had a layer of mixed leaf litter of red alder and big leaf maple leaves. Beneath
the leaf litter, the soil had a consistent color of grey soil (10YR 3/2) throughout. Within the
subsoil, there were thin plant roots growing through the soil, and beneath the roots, there were a
number of small gravel. The soil throughout was slightly moist, crumbly and had a floury
texture. It had very fine granules.

Polygon 4
Top layer of soil had a layer of big leaf maple leaf litter. Beneath the leaf litter, the soil had a
consistent color of grey soil (10YR 3/2) throughout. On the surface soil, a small beetle was sited.
Within the subsoil, there were thin plant roots growing through the soil, and beneath the roots, there
were a number of small gravel and clumps of soil. The soil was very hard and compact. The soil
throughout was slightly moist, crumbly and had a floury texture. It had very fine granules.

Polygon 5
Top layers of the soil consisted of a very thick layer of leaf litter. Beneath the leaf litter, the soil
did not have any distinct changes in coloration in the surface soil and subsoil, however the subsoil
contained a dense mat of thin roots intertwined. Throughout the surface soil and most of the
subsoil, the color was a consistent color of grey (10YR 3/2) with the exception of small sparse
chunks of orange grey brown soil (10YR 5/6). The soil was slightly moist, floury, crumbly and
had very fine granules. Within the lower layer of the subsoil, there were varied sized rocks
dispersed throughout the soil.

Polygon 6
Top layer of soil had a very thick layer of leaf litter. Beneath the leaf litter, the soil had a
consistent color of grey soil (10YR 3/2) throughout. Within the subsoil, there were thin plant
roots growing through the soil, and beneath the roots, there were a number of small gravel. There
was a mixture of rock sizes, ranging from pebbles to rocks about the size of a tennis ball. The soil
was very hard and compact. The soil throughout was slightly moist, crumbly and had a floury
texture. It had very fine granules.

HYDROLOGY
The hydrological characteristics we observed in October of 2018 for this site are that, the soil is
relatively moist especially in Polygons 5 & 6, from the soil pits we dug we observed wet soil at
least one foot into the ground. Polygons 1-4 are relatively flat, but on the southern sides of the
polygon is a small ravine that connects to upper part of the creek. Generally the surface water
flow on the site runs through Polygon 6 and flows eastward through lowland polygons. After
flowing through the site, the water overland runoff will collect in a ditch next to the noise barrier
of I-405 where it will seep into the groundwater and eventually flow into North Creek. In figure
9, we can see that water is flowing from west to east, reconnecting back to the larger body of
water (North Creek). The soils are sandy loam which provide a large enough porosity for water
to flow through and not be retained by the soil. .

Evidence that the site will remain wet is the inclination of the slope in Polygons 5&6 because as
long as the slope is there, water movement through the site will occur. In dryer seasons, having
water flow will be difficult because not as much precipitation will occur.
Figure 9: Hydrological Features
VEGETATION
Our site is split into two sections, a low-land section near the previous UWREN Project Site 7 and a
dense forested area that is located on the top of a slope, overlooking the lower sites. The two
sections are both covered with invasive species - Himalayan blackberry (Rubus armeniacus) and/or
English ivy (Hedera helix) that are putting stress on the native species.

This site was once a farmland which explains a few non-native apple trees (Malus sp.) that still
remain and produce fruit, a garage/shed, an abandoned car (located in polygon 5) and an old well
(located in polygon 6). The lower site (Polygons 1-4) is dominantly covered by Himalayan
blackberry and consists of native species like red alder (Alnus rubra), big-leaf maple (Acer
macrophyllum), beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta ) and sword fern (Polystichum munitum). In
Polygon 3 there is a fallen Pacific crab apple (Malus fusca) tree that appears to be in the process
of decomposing. On Polygons 5 & 6, it consist of the same species as the lower polygons but with
two western redcedars (Thuja plicata), a vine maple (Acer circinatum), indian plum (Oemleria
cerasiformis), creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens), bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum),
licorice fern (Polypodium glycyrrhiza) and saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia). Within Polygon 6,
the upper canopy cover is very dense from red alder overhead and conifers that are located outside
of the site. English ivy is very dominant in this polygon by covering the ground completely and
into the trees.

The canopy cover consists of big-leaf maple and red alder; not as much evergreen coniferous
canopy contributes to the coverage except for the two western redcedar located in Polygon 6.
UWREN Project Site 7 has planted some conifers in their site to improve conifer canopy
coverage. With big-leaf maple and some western redcedar near the site, we can determine that the
soil should be very moist, in the wetter months, which can provide vegetation enough water to
grow successfully. There is also a large amount of organic litter from the deciduous trees which
provide excellent nutrients for the soil.
Figure 8: Native plant species locations in the North Creek Forest site.
 Figure 9: Non-native species locations in North Creek Forest site

Polygon 1
The plant community in Polygon 1 based on observations the dominant species for the area is
Himalayan blackberry. There is some beaked hazelnut in and around the Himalayan blackberry.
This polygon is consisted of mostly Himalayan blackberry which poses a threat for other species
to grow in this area. Located behind the large section of Himalayan blackberry are some apple
trees that still stand.

Table 3: Existing vegetation and relative abundance in Polygon 1

 Polygon 1

Non Relative
Native Latin name Common name
Native abundance

Tree

X Malus spp. Apple tree Low

X Malus spp Apple tree Low

Shrub

X Rubus armeniacus Himalayan blackberry High

X Crorylus cornuta Beaked hazelnut Low

Polygon 2
The plant community in polygon 2 based on observation is dominantly Himalayan blackberry.
There is small highbush-cranberry shrub, but is being taken over by the Himalayan blackberry.
There are red alders located on the edge of polygon near the previous UW-REN site.

Table 4: Existing vegetation and relative abundance in Polygon 2

Polygon 2

Non- Relative
Native Latin name Common name
Native abundance

Tree

X Alnus rubra Red Alder Medium

Shrub

X Rubus armeniacus Himalayan blackberry High

X Viburnum edule Highbush-cranberry Low

 Polygon 3
The plant community in Polygon 3 is dominantly Himalayan blackberry. There is a fallen
Pacific crab apple (Malus fusca) that takes up most of the polygon area. This Pacific crab apple
is in the process of decomposing. The tree still retains its leaves, so it appears that this tree
recently fell over.

Table 5: Existing vegetation and relative abundance in Polygon 3

Polygon 3

Non- Relative
Native Latin name Common name
Native abundance

Shrub

X Rubus armeniacus Himalayan blackberry Medium

Polygon 4

The plant community in Polygon 4 is largely dominated by a bigleaf maple tree with multiple
trunks. There are some sword ferns near the edge of the polygon and Himalayan blackberry behind
the bigleaf maple.

Table 6: Existing vegetation and relative abundance in Polygon 4

Polygon 4

Non- Relative
Native Latin name Common name
Native abundance

Tree

X Acer macrophyllum Bigleaf maple Low

Shrub

X Rubus armeniacus Himalayan blackberry Medium

Fern

X Polystichum munitum Sword fern Low

Polygon 5
The plant community in polygon 5 has more diverse vegetation than the bottom polygons and the
beginning of a more forested area. Both dominant Himalayan blackberry and English ivy are in
the area, which that take up large portion of the polygon. The center is full of Himalayan
blackberry and English ivy is found above the Himalayan blackberry. There is also high amount
of creeping buttercup that is located near the abandoned farmhouse. The lower part of the polygon
(below the Himalayan blackberry) are some trees that were planted from the previous UW REN
group. Trailing up the hill, there are a few indian plum and bracken and sword ferns that the ivy
has not taken over yet. This polygon also has medium abundance of bigleaf maples and a vine
maple tree. An apple tree is also located in this polygon that still produce apples and licorice ferns
growing on the apple tree. Near the top of the polygon there are remains of what used to be a shed
or garage, but now covered with English ivy.

Table 7: Existing vegetation and relative abundance in Polygon 5

Polygon 5

Non- Relative
Native Latin name Common name
Native abundance

Tree

X Malus spp. Apple Tree Low

X Acer macrophyllum Bigleaf maple Medium

X Acer circinatum Vine maple Low

Shrub

X Oemleria cerasiformis Indian plum Low

X Corylus cornuta Beaked hazelnut Low

X Rubus armeniacus Himalayan blackberry High

Weeds

X Ilex aquifolium English holly Low

X Hedera helix English Ivy High

Herbaceous
X Ranunculus repens Creeping buttercup High
 Fern

X Pteridium aquilinum Bracken Fern Low

X Polypodium glycyrrhiza Licorice fern Low

X Polystichum munitum Sword fern Low

Polygon 6

The plant community in polygon 6 is dominantly English Ivy. The canopy cover in this area is
much greater than previous polygons. This area has red alder, English holly, western redcedars
and a box leaf azara. The red alders, have English ivy growing on them by as well as the other
trees in the area.

Table 8: Existing vegetation and relative abundance in Polygon 6

Polygon 6

Non- Relative
Native Latin name Common name
Native abundance

Tree

X Alnus rubra Red alder Medium

X Thuja plicata Western redcedar Low

X Ilex aquifolium English holly tree Low

X Azara microphylla Box leaf Azara Low

Shrub

X Corylus cornuta Beaked hazelnut Low

X Crataegus monogyna Common hawthorn Low

X Amelanchier alnifolia Saskatoon Medium

Weeds

X Hedera helix English Ivy High

 HABITAT & WILDLIFE
At the site, there have been beetles, slugs, worms, and snails on leaves, leaf litter, and in the soil.
There are black-capped chickadee feeding and nesting in trees (Alnus rubra). They can be heard
making noise in the morning.
There is no known priority habitat at the North Creek Forest (WDFW, 2018). There are mapped
wetland and salmonid habitat to the east of 1-405 . Priority species and habitat for conservation are
mapped in purple (Figure 10). The areas in purple are current areas that are wetlands or parks that
are conserved for plants and animals.

Figure 10. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Priority Habitat and Species at North
Creek Forest.
 DISTURBANCE
Polygon 1 lies along a residential road where vehicles pass through. There is also I-405 which
lies east of the North Creek Forest, which can create variable noise disturbance. This area is
densely populated by the invasive Himalayan blackberry and has very little native plant species
present. Himalayan blackberry has grown very tall (approximately 12-14 feet), much entangled
in electric power lines, and has heavily overtaken most of the space, leaving little room for
native species to establish. Himalayan blackberry may provide an unsuitable microenvironment
for native wildlife and native plant species, thus has reduced ecological function.

Polygon 2 has open space with no plants established. This area is also heavily covered in Himalayan
blackberry which tend to outcompete shrub species.

Polygon 3 is densely populated with Himalayan blackberry with areas of open space with little plant
species established. There are cans and bottles that humans have left as well as wire that was used
for farming.

Polygon 4 has remnants of plastic litter dropped at multiple places within the area. There are a
few patches of growing Himalayan blackberry. There is a large Big leaf maple tree in the left
corner of the polygon which has a large canopy, providing plenty of shade in the understory.

Polygon 5 is on an incline just up from the abandoned farmhouse and to the left. In the polygon
there is an old car that has plants growing in it as well as metal buckets and some wire fencing.
The polygon is about half covered in himalayan blackberry that is about 6 feet high. There is also
english ivy that covers about a third of the polygon near the car. The ivy is all over the native trees
and shrubs as well as the ground in the area. Because the ivy and blackberry cover so much
ground other plants have a harder time growing from the soil due to lack of sun.

Polygon 6 is on an incline to the left of polygon 5. In the polygon there appears to be an old shed
that has fallen over with a ceramic sink, toilet and refrigerator just outside it. There are also some
cans that people have left. There is english ivy that covers the majority of the polygon. The ivy is all
over the native trees and shrubs as well as the ground in the area. Because the English ivy cover so
much ground other plants have a harder time growing from the soil due to lack of sun.
 IMPAIRED ECOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS &
LIKELIHOOD OF AUTOGENIC REPAIR
Considering that a large percentage of the site is dominated by Himalayan blackberry and
English ivy, the potential for autogenic, or self-repair is very low. Himalayan blackberry and
English ivy are very dominating plants when given the chance, especially in the earlier stages of
succession because of the availability of light. Our site is in the early stages of mixed deciduous
forest with plenty of areas for Himalayan blackberry to grow which will prevent succession from
naturally happening, which is why autogenic repair is not likely.

Polygon 1
This polygon is characterized by a large majority of Himalayan Blackberry coverage, we estimate
around 90% of the polygon. Impaired ecological functions include unfulfilled niches or functional
groups, loss of erosion management, loss of wildlife habitat, impaired water filtration, less carbon
sequestered, loss of soil generation, loss of air purification, impacted water, carbon, and nutrient
cycles, and less biodiversity.

Polygon 2
Polygon 2 is a little bit different than the other polygons, although it has a lot of Himalayan
Blackberry it also has some empty ground cover, areas where there are no plants. We think that the
same ecological functions mentioned above are still impaired but soil erosion would be more severe.
Considering the presence of a slight slope, once the Himalayan blackberry is removed it will be
easier for soil to travel down the slope during precipitation events.

Polygon 3
Polygon 3 is similar to polygon 1 in that it has a large amount of Himalayan blackberry covering
the polygon, but it also has a large fallen apple tree. The impairments are the same as polygon 1.

Polygon 4
Polygon 4 has a medium amount of Himalayan blackberry but is largely dominated by a Bigleaf
Maple, with some empty ground cover, similar to polygon 2. Ecological impairments are the
same as polygon 1 but soil erosion is more severe, due to the reasoning mentioned mentioned
above.

Polygon 5
Polygon 5 is more forested and has more variety of plants than the other polygons, impairments
would be the same as polygon 1 but loss of carbon sequestration, and loss of biodiversity would be
less severe, and soil erosion will be more severe, as stated above.
Polygon 6
Polygon 6 is similar to polygon 5 in that it is more forested than the lower polygons. Polygon 6 is
differentiated by the large amount English Ivy growing on the trees. Because of its similarity to
polygon 5, the ecological impairments are similar.

WORKS CITED
Google maps. Internet. Date Accessed: 10/31/2018

Gugala, Melissa. Personal interview. 10/25/2018

Munsell Soil Color Chart. 2009. Munsell Soil Color Chart. [Internet]; [cited.
10/31/2018] Available at: http://soilsteaching.uga.edu/pedology/Munsell.pdf

Pojar J, MacKinnon A. 2014. (Revised) Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast Washington,
Oregon, British Columbia & Alaska. British Columbia (Canada): B.C.

USDA Web Soil Survey. Date Accessed: 10/31/2018. Available at:

https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htm

Virginia Tech Dendrology. Date Accessed: 10/31/2018. Available at:

http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/factsheets.cfm

Witte, S. UW Restoration Ecology Network Request-for Proposal (RFP) Form - North Creek
Forest. 2018. [PDF]]; [cited 2018, Oct. 31].